carl1738 Member

You didn't gain the fat all at once, you're not going to lose it that fast, either! Have patience, stick with it and you'll get the results you're after. It just takes time.

I know what you mean. It's like when you're trying to quit smoking and all of a sudden your friends get real generous and keep offering you cigarettes.

I hear the Betty Ford Center has one. I think that's where Charlie Sheen went. :wink:

I can understand the no sweets, soda and fruit juice part of this, but what's up with the no meat? What's wrong with meat? It's a great source of protein and other nutrients like iron that your body needs.

Protein shakes are for building muscle, not necessarily losing weight. That said, gaining muscle can help you to lose fat faster, and give you a healthy, "toned" body instead of the skinny weakling look. They're generally for use after strength training workouts, when your muscles need protein to help them recover. Don't…

Try doing pushups and dips to work your triceps, and maybe pick up a pair of dumbbells at Walmart to do some bicep curls. I would go for at least 8 or 10 pound dumbbells, as the little three and five pounders really aren't heavy enough to work your muscles much. Do three sets of each exercise every three days or so, and…

I take a basic multivitamin just to cover the bases, fish oil and a vitamin B and C supplement. I find I have a bit more energy with the vitamin B supplement.

Work your larger muscle groups like your back, chest and legs before training smaller muscle groups like your biceps. You'll burn more calories and build more muscle that way.

If you can do more than 15 reps with the weight you're using, you're using too light of a weight!

If I'm working, I usually hit the gym for an hour or so of strength training (we have a gym at work, and a lot of spare time, so it works well that way). If I'm not working, I usually strength train for an hour in the morning, then add an hour of cardio in the afternoon. That's usually good for 6000 to 8000 calories a…

How is losing seven pounds in two months hitting a plateau? Sounds like solid progress to me! Stick with it. Change up your exercise routine a bit and maybe try some new low cal foods to relieve the boredom.

Everything in moderation! Enjoy!

If I'm not at work, I'll clean the house, read a book, go on the computer, or play with my daughters. If the weather's nice, I'll go for a walk or do something outdoors.

You can't spot reduce, but keep up the cardio, throw in a bit of strength training, and watch your diet and you'll lose the fat!

Exactly. It's fast food. It's going to be high in carbs (it's bread, duh!) It's going to be high in sodium. Most cold meat or processed meat is. If you're watching your sodium intake, most fast food should be avoided. But sodium content aside, Subway is probably one of the healthiest choices available to you. And eating it…

Gee, this doesn't sound like an advertising testimonial at all, does it? Peddle your crap someplace else.

It's generally best to do strength training first. You can do 5-10 minutes of cardio first, however to warm up your muscles.

Planks, side planks, crunches, side crunches, reverse crunches, oblique twists, side raises, situps( more of a hip flexor exercise, I know, but still hits the abs), mountain climbers, bird dogs, McGill crunches. Don't forget to work in some lower back exercises to complete your core!

While whey still seems to be the protein of choice immediately post workout because of it's quick absorbtion into the bloodstream, I believe that you should get your protein from a variety of sources, including beef, poultry, eggs, dairy, and yes, soy. The only arguement that I could possibly make against soy is that it…

I would give it another day or two to recover. Do some cardio or train a different body part.

I would have thought that the whole "puff pastry" title might have been a bit of a red flag that maybe these things aren't terribly healthy. As a person that has worked in the food processing industry, I know that virtually all pastry products contain a lot of fat. As an aside, "modified milk ingredients" usually means…

Your slight weight gain is probably due to your new exercise program. When you start a new and challenging program, it's normal for your muscles to retain a little bit extra water to help them recover, hence the minor weight gain. After two or three weeks, when your muscles are used to being stressed that way, they won't…

It's temporary. Stick with the exercise routine for a couple of weeks and your muscles won't retain that extra little bit of water. Give them a chance to get used to regular exercise, and the water weight will disappear.

Yes, I have tried the ECA stack myself (about ten years ago). It certainly does give you a major burst of energy to get you through your workout, but calorically it only burns about 100 extra calories per day if used as recommended (twice a day). I didn't find that it justified the cost. Of course, I believe that ephedrine…

I agree with most of your tips, but I strongly disagree with your recommenation of fat burners or weight loss pills. Most of these are either full of unproven ingredients, simply laxatives, or basically caffiene pills. Save your money and don't fall prey to these scams!

Try a handful of nuts. Protein, fiber and healthy fats. Get unsalted if you're worried about your sodium.

Here's some info on "The Master Cleanse". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Cleanse

Think of the protein as more of a minimum level that you should reach daily. The default setting is way low! You can customize it if you want. I've got mine set for 40%. MFP is set for 15%, I believe. Feel free to go over in protein, it's the fat and the carbs that should be somewhat limited.

Stay away from the pills. Most are either full of clinically unproven ingredients, laxatives, or have high amounts of caffeine or other stimulants. Since most weight loss pills are categorized as herbal supplements, they aren't tested or subject to government regulation as far as quality or effectiveness are concerned.

I hope you realize that you threw out the only part of the snack that was actually good for you!